Chapter 567: Reunion with an Old Friend

"A big brother, don't know him." The child turned and left after speaking, his mouth still bulging. He had only taken three pieces of shortbread as payment and had no interest in chatting more with this person.

The drinker took the note and looked at it—a strip two fingers wide with only one sentence on it:

"Shouldn't the Turtle Pearl be returned to me by now?"

Looking at this nonsensical message, the drinker was also confused.

He suspiciously sized up the lane, retreated into the courtyard, and closed the door.

His companion asked him, "Who came outside?"

"Don't know, someone entrusted a child to leave a note for Tong Wei."

The door to the inner chamber creaked open, and someone walked out quickly: "Give it to me."

This person was wearing a face mask, and his voice was a bit hoarse.

He snatched the note from the drinker's hand, looked at it twice, and raised an eyebrow.

The drinker asked him, "Was it really looking for you?"

"What's it to you?" The person hurried back inside and slammed the door shut.

From beginning to end, he didn't even look at the two of them.

The drinker wanted to say something but stopped.

His companion tugged at his sleeve: "Forget it, it's not the first day this guy has had a strange temper. Come, come, sit down and drink."

The strange man returned to the room, looked at the note again and again, even comparing it against the light twice, before picking up several bottles from the table, mixing the powders and medicinal liquids inside to create a pungent, paste-like substance, which he then smeared onto the note.

Soon, a few words appeared on the back of the previously blank note: "Chen Sao's Fish Soup."

In the row of street shops in front, there was a shop with this sign.

The man huffed, sat down to think it over properly, and then pushed open the door to go out.

As a neighborhood shop, the "Chen Sao's Fish Soup" sign hit the soul directly; diners knew at a glance what the shop's flagship product was.

The shop wasn't large, with room for three small tables inside, and two more tables could be set up outside if they occupied the street.

Diners only had stools to sit on and had to hunch over to eat—He Lingchuan was maintaining this posture.

When the steaming three dishes and one soup were placed on the table, the person he was waiting for just happened to walk in.

He Lingchuan thoughtfully chose the innermost table. The newcomer sat down with his back to the street, casually removed his face mask, revealing the lower half of his face, which was twisted as if the wax had melted.

Dong Rui.

As soon as He Lingchuan saw this face, he supported his forehead:

"Let me take a moment."

Truly unappetizing.

Dong Rui said coldly, "If you don't want to look, you can get lost."

"Long time no see, I need to readjust." He Lingchuan personally served him a bowl of fish soup. "Come, for the good times in the swamp, bottoms up on this bowl of soup."

The crucian carp soup was milky white and fragrant.

Chen Sao used this fish soup as her signature, and she truly had some real skills.

Dong Rui took it, intending to tilt his head and gulp it down, but upon lowering his head, he nearly scalded his lips, and the mouthful in his mouth nearly sprayed out.

After much difficulty swallowing it, he switched to small, slow sips for the rest.

His mouth was burning as if it were about to explode.

During this process, He Lingchuan had already poured himself a cup of wine, took a sip, and let out an "ah" of comfort.

Damn it.

Dong Rui watched him silently, finding that feeling of his blood pressure skyrocketing again.

What good times in the swamp? It was simply unbearable to look back on! He said gloomily, "What are you looking for me for?"

"We still have business to attend to in Lingxu City, have you forgotten?" He Lingchuan reminded him, "Erniang?"

At the time, he and Dong Rui had simultaneously accepted a mission from Zhu Erniang to find her demon immortal remains in Lingxu City.

When Dong Rui left the Demon Nest Swamp, he left He Lingchuan his address and alias in Lingxu City, then left first.

He Lingchuan, adhering to the fine tradition of keeping one's word, began looking for his old partner to discuss a plan as soon as he arrived in Lingxu City. It was just that as soon as he arrived at Dong Rui's door, he discovered he wasn't alone.

For the sake of caution, He Lingchuan arranged to meet him outside.

The trick with the note was something Dong Rui had played to death in the Demon Nest Swamp.

"I remember." Dong Rui picked up a piece of duck offal. "I also gave her a guarantee, but I have things to do now and can't get away. You'll have to wait a few more days."

Besides fish soup, Chen Sao's shop was also adept at stir-frying various chicken, duck, and pork offal. Offal was the cheapest, and after being cleaned and passed through oil, mixed with small seasonings, it was fragrant and the best companion for wine.

Most importantly, it wasn't expensive.

Ah, the home-cooked dishes hidden in the streets and lanes were what ordinary people could afford.

He Lingchuan asked him, "What conditions did Zhu Erniang promise you to make you willing to come here and do things for her?"

The Beijia Empire was a behemoth, and Lingxu City was under the eyes of the gods, not to mention that Dong Rui's wanted notice had finally been lifted, allowing him to enjoy hard-won freedom. How high was the price Zhu Erniang offered to make Dong Rui come to Lingxu City to stir up trouble?

Although the two had agreed under Zhu Erniang's coercion to seize the remains for her, were there few people or things that went back on their word? Before doing anything, He Lingchuan had to confirm that Dong Rui hadn't gone back on his word or betrayed him.

Otherwise, there would be no need for the two to be in contact later; he would have to seek other help.

Dong Rui had learned his lesson and this time blew the fish soup cool before drinking it: "The demon puppets I create, regardless of size or strength, always have one flaw that cannot be eliminated: their lifespan is too short. At longest, ten-plus years; at shortest, three to five months."

"Divine blood is, after all, something today's monsters cannot fully withstand. The Ghost Ape is considered my most successful work, but every few months, there is a reversal of blood poison, causing it unbearable suffering. Now, it is also reaching its limit. The power of divine blood itself is a heavy burden; I can't help them with this."

So that was it. "If a demon puppet breaks, you can just make a new one." Otherwise, why call it a "puppet"? "You're truly cold-blooded!" Dong Rui glared at him. "Demon puppets are cuter than most people in this world; how can you say they can be discarded at will?"

He Lingchuan rubbed his nose: "Come, eat!"

"Every demon puppet is unique, far more precious than the dime-a-dozen humans!" Dong Rui never forgot to belittle others. "Zhu Erniang said she could help me solve this problem."

"What way could she have?"

"Her remains still have a few egg sacs left, which contain the essence of demon origin from the ancient period, which can help me neutralize the side effects of divine blood. That way, the demon puppets' lifespans can be extended by at least several times, and they can suffer much less pain in daily life."

He Lingchuan understood. Ancient great demons were the main force resisting the Heavenly Gods; the Spider Immortal of that period had powerful strength, so resisting a little divine blood shouldn't be a problem.

For someone like Dong Rui who viewed research as his life, the attraction of the Spider Demon's remains was irresistible.

Understanding this, He Lingchuan felt quite relieved:

"How about it, has the Snail Toad's injury healed yet?"

As soon as He Lingchuan said this, Dong Rui stopped eating, and the look he gave him was one of sheer horror:

"How did you..."

His second reaction was to look for the shopkeeper, only to find that Chen Sao, having finished cooking, had already walked outside to drink with regular customers.

They were the only guests left in the shop, and they were speaking in very low voices.

"How did I know?" He Lingchuan leisurely picked up a slice of pork kidney, oily and glistening, with decorative cuts on it. "I injured it—no, wait, I blew it up, of course I know."

Dong Rui glared at him for a long time before finding his voice: "Can't you let my demon puppets go?!"

Every demon puppet he lost was almost related to this guy, every single one! How could even the Snail Toad not escape this damn curse?

"I didn't know it was made by you either." He Lingchuan sighed. "It wasn't until I discovered its true face that I remembered you telling me in the swamp that you had made a demon puppet for someone else as a condition for escaping Beijia."

Dong Rui was heartbroken: "Why did you hit it!"

"The demon puppet you created was carrying the 'Snail Dwelling,' a treasure lost by the Green Palace over a decade ago—yes, that thick snail shell on its back—and was committing crimes everywhere in the Chiyan State! It just so happened that I was entrusted by the Crown Prince of Chiyan to investigate the case and pursue the culprit." He Lingchuan spread his hands. "You tell me, how could I not beat it?"

Investigating a case? He Lingchuan was the investigator? Dong Rui stood up abruptly.

However, He Lingchuan was one step ahead, raising his hand to press on his shoulder: "Stay calm!"

This force was immense; Dong Rui was unable to move.

He wanted to brush off He Lingchuan's wrist, but the latter had already retracted his arm and lightning-fast tapped him under the ribs: "Don't mess around, I'm not looking for trouble with you!"

Half of Dong Rui's body went numb, and he nearly had difficulty breathing. He knew this was the other party cutting off his blood flow, although only for a brief moment.

This kid, his cultivation seemed to have improved again, damn it!

He Lingchuan said quickly: "This case has already been handed over to others to investigate; the follow-up has nothing to do with me, and I won't expose you."

Dong Rui was half-believing: "Who took over?"

"The Tiangong."

Dong Rui's face turned pale, and his voice became even hoarser: "How could it be the Tiangong?"

He Lingchuan asked him back: "Do you know what specific things the Snail Toad did?"

Dong Rui shook his head: "I just arrived in Lingxu and took over the Snail Toad's treatment. It was seriously injured and had been delayed too long! I spent a great deal of effort to stabilize its condition, and even now, it still needs regular care."

He paused: "Before you came, I had only gone out a few times."

He Lingchuan sometimes forgot how much of a homebody this guy was: "The Snail Toad isn't here?"

"No, this place is too small, and the environment isn't suitable." This house was too small; speaking loudly would let the neighbors hear, and it wasn't suitable for raising a monster. After all, a toad's croak was still very loud. Moreover, the Snail Toad was an amphibian, best suited for a muddy and humid environment.

"Where did the two people in your courtyard come from?"

"Sent by the Snail Toad's owner, ostensibly to help, but actually useless; they can only buy me some things."

He Lingchuan asked again: "Is the Snail Toad's owner named Mai Xuewen?"

Dong Rui blinked: "Indeed, the surname is Mai. Thin and tall, looking refined, but his eyes are gloomy."

Mai Xuewen had this appearance. He Lingchuan was thoughtful: "Back then, was it he who helped you escape Beijia?"

Dong Rui looked at him, feeling vigilant: "Didn't you say you weren't investigating the case anymore?"

He Lingchuan smiled: "I'm not investigating the case for the authorities, but I need to be aware of the situation." In his current situation, a little more information was a little more help.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 568 =====